Vacuum cleaner



Novo 8, 1938. I v N. H. wATTs I 2,135,268

VACUUM CLEANE Filed Oct. 18, 1933 Nobl Watts y W Hi5 Attom fl-v Patented Nov. 8, 1938 PATENT OFFICE VACUUM ommna Noble H. Watts, Bridgeport, Conn, assignor to GeneraiEiectric @ompany, a corporation of New York Application @ctober 18, 1933, Serial No. 694,092

% Claims.

The present invention relates to electric vacuum cleaners of the portable household type. It has for its object to provide an improved construction and arrangement of casing and motor mounting for such cleaners.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, or? the cleaner shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detailed mrspective view of certain parts, and Fig. d is a detailed view looking at the cleaner from the under side.

Referring to the drawing, the vacuum cleaner casing comprises an outer casing having a substantially vertical dome 5 having an opening 6 at its top and an opening 7 at its bottom. At the edge of opening 6 are a plurality of upwardly projecting spa/cod lugs 8 on which is fastened a cap 9 by screws it, thus providing between the cap and thetop oi dome 5 a plurality of motor ventilating openings ii. By this arrangement, ventilating openings are provided at the top oi the dome so located that larger articles cannot drop through them into the dome. In other words, cap 9 acts as a guard for the ventilating openings. 30 wardly projecting flange l2. Mounted in dome t is an electric motor B of suitable construction which at its lower edge is supported on a ring i4 fastened to flange I2 by screws 85. Ring i4 is formed primarily of resilient material, such as rubber, comprising preferably a rubber ring I6 provided with a metal backing i'l. At the inner edge of rubber ring I6 is an annular recess which provides a ledge It on which a rim it on the motor casing rests and a shoulder 2b with which motor. To hold the motor from turning, rim I! is provided with one or more tongues 2! located in a notch or notches 2 I in ring l6. (See Fig. 8.)

The upper end of the motor is supported by a resilient ring 22, such as a rubber ring, which is rectangular in cross section and which rests at its lower edge in an annular recess 23 in the motor casing and at its upper edge in an annular recess 24 in dome 5. The upper edge 25 of recess 23 is below the lower edge 26 of recess 24 so that any transverse vibration of the motor puts ring 22 under shear. This is an advantageous arrangement in that it serves more efficiently to absorb u vibration.

At the edge of opening l! is an in-.

the edge of rim l9 engages. This provides a re- 1 (CE. l5-8) By the foregoing arrangement, it will be seen that the motor is supported in spaced relation to the dome on resilient supporting means, which means serves to absorb vibration. At the same time there is provided a supporting arrangement 6 which is simple in structure and capable of being quickly and easily assembled. In assembling the motor in the dome, it is necessary merely to place the ring 22 in recess 23, drop the motor in the dome, bringing ring 22 into recess 24, and then Iii fasten ring it into place. Besides supporting the motor, the ring it holds the ring 22 in engagement with the motor and the dome. This arrangement also makes it a simple operation to remove the motor from the dome without disasl8 sembling the outer casing.

The motor casing is provided with ventilating openings 27 at its upper end and with ventilating openings 28 at its lower end. Inside the motor casing is a motor ventilating fan 29. When 20 the motor is running, ventilating fan 29 draws air through ventilating passages Ii between the top of the dome and cap 5, and thence through ventilating openings 21 and across the motor windings, discharging the air through ventilating 25 openings 28. Rubber supporting ring 22 is located outside ventilating openings 21 and serves as a sealing means to seal the space between the upper end of the motor casing and dome '5 and prevents the flow of cleaning air through the motor. so With this arrangement, all the air drawn in through the ventilating openings ii is forced to flow through the motor casing. The air discharged from'ventilating openings 28 escapes to the atmosphere, the space surrounding the lower 3:; portion of the motor casing being connected to atmosphere at the rear of the cleaner casing as is clear from an inspection olFlg. 1.

At the rear of the dome, the casing is provided with walls which define a projection on which 40 the vacuum cleaner handle 3| is pivotally mounted. Projection 30 provides also space in which locking means for the handle is housed and in which means for adjusting rear wheels 32 is housed. Insofar as the present invention is concerned, any suitable handle locking means and any suitable rear wheel adjusting means may be utilized as the specific construction is not a. part of the present invention. The arrangements indicated in the drawing and those which I now prefer to use are disclosed and claimed in my copending applications, Serial Nos. 694,093 and 694,094, filed of even date herewith, now Patents 2,039,861 and 2,039,862, respectively, issued May Depending from flange I2 is a wall which defines the surrounding wall of the fan chamber. At the rear of the fan chamber is a discharge outlet 35 to which the mouth of the vacuum cleaner bag 31 is connected. At the lower edge of wall 35 is a ledge 38 on which is supported a bottom closure plate 35 held in place by a suitable number of screws 40. Plate 3! defines the lower wall of the fan housing. In the fan housing is located a fan 4| of suitable construction carried by an extension 42 of the motor shaft. Formed integral with bottom closure plate 39 are walls 44 which define an inlet opening 45 which communicates with the suction nozzle 46 of the cleaner. Suction nozzle 46 is preferably formed integral with dome 5 at the front thereof and on its lower side is provided with a suction opening 41 which moves in proximity to the surface to be cleaned as is well understood. Inlet opening 45 is connected to the fan chamber through an opening 48 in closure plate 19. Motor shaft extension 42 projects through opening 48 and its lower end forms a pulley on which runs a belt 49 for driving the vacuum cleaner brush 55. Vacuum cleaner brush 50 is rotatably mounted in nozzle 45 in any suitable manner. To give access to belt 45, wall 44 is provided with an opening 5| over which is located a cap 52 held in place by spring clamping nuts 53.

The opening over which bottom closure plate 39 fits is below the dome opening and of a diameter greater than that of ring l4 and motor l3. This enables the motor to be mounted in dome 5 through such opening without disassembling the outer casing.

At the rear of the nozzle on opposite sides of wall 44 are webs 54 on which are pivotally mounted the front wheels 55 of the cleaner. In the present instance, wheels 55 are shown as bein pivoted on headed pins 55 fastened in openings in the webs by means of nuts 51.

The above described arrangement is most advantageous from a manufacturing and assembling standpoint in that the motor, which is a unit complete in itself, is assembled in the dome from the underside of the casing after the manner already described, and after the motor is in place, completion of the assembly is accomplished by fastening in position the bottom closure plate 35. It will be seen that suction nozzle 46 has at its rear walls 54 which define an opening which communicates with opening 45 and that the walls defining said openings abut against each other to provide a continuous passage through the suction nozzle opening 41 and the inlet opening 48 to the fan.

In Fig. 2, the electrical connections for the motor are indicated at 55, the same being connected to the usual lead which extends down along or through the handle to the vacuum cleaner casing.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, an outer casing having a dome open at its lower end and a suction nozzle at the front of the dome, an opening in said casing below said dome opening, an electric motor in the dome, said motor being of less diameter than said openings whereby it may be inserted through such openings into the dome without disassembling the dome from the casing, a lower resilient ring which supports the weight of the motor and holds it against transverse movement, walls forming recesses in the top wall of the dome and in the top of the motor casing, and a resilient ring in said recesses which supports the upper end of the motor.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing having a dome, a suction nozzle at the front of the dome, a discharge conduit and a passage below said dome leading from the suction nozzle to the discharge conduit, a motor in the dome, a resilient ring supporting the upper end oi the motor in spaced relation to the dome and sealing the space between the motor and the dome, the upper end of the motor and the dome being provided with passages for the flow of cooling air to the motor, a fan on said motor for moving cleaning air from the suction nomle to the discharge conduit, and means including a resilient ring between the lower end of the motor and the dome for supporting the lower end of the motor and for .preventing the flow of cleaning air to the motor.

NOBLE H. WA'I'IS. 

